Trustpilot
4.6
out of 5
Set up an AG. From €50,000 share capital.
Articles of association, notary appointment, Handelsregister – we guide you through every step.
Integrations
Export and filing
As seen in
Official
Qonto
Partner
The partner founders trust
Company formation, registrations and ongoing bookkeeping in one place. Anything that requires a licence is handled by notaries and tax advisors from our partner network.
Set up your AG in four steps
- 1
Describe your idea
Tell us in one sentence what your AG will do. The AI suggests the business purpose and structure.
- 2
Check the name
We check your preferred name against the Handelsregister, the German commercial register, before you commit to it.
Check your name now - 3
Articles and boards
Your articles of association are ready. You appoint the supervisory board and management board, and we arrange the notary appointment.
- 4
Audit and registration
After the formation report, formation audit and payment of capital, the registration goes to the Handelsregister.
What you should know about the AG
- §§ 7, 36a AktG
€50,000 share capital
The minimum capital of an AG (Grundkapital). For cash contributions, at least a quarter must be paid in before registration, so €12,500.
- §§ 76, 95, 118 AktG
Three bodies
The management board (Vorstand) runs the business, a supervisory board (Aufsichtsrat) of at least three members oversees it, and the general meeting decides on fundamental matters.
- §§ 32–34 AktG
Formation audit
The founders prepare a formation report, and the management and supervisory boards audit the formation. In some cases, the notary or an external auditor also checks it.
- § 68 AktG
Freely transferable shares
Unlike GmbH shares, AG shares can be transferred without a notary. That makes it easier to bring in new shareholders and to sell later.
- § 1 Abs. 1 AktG
Limited liability
Only the company's assets are liable for its debts, not those of the shareholders.
- § 23 Abs. 5 AktG
Strict articles
The articles of association may only depart from the Stock Corporation Act where the law expressly allows it. That creates clarity, but leaves less room than with a GmbH.
Your formation runs in the background.
Company name checked
4 competitors analysed
Articles of association drafted
Agents support you from validating your idea all the way to forming your company.
Validation score
0%
+12%- Market potential+18
- Competition+14
- Suitable legal form+14
- Funding+12
Starting formation
Drafting articles of association …
We handle every official registration – from trade registration to registering with the tax office.
- Trade registrationFill in form …
- Tax registrationWaiting
- VAT returnWaiting
Your company is automatically connected to all the key registers and authorities.
Your bookkeeping starts clean from day one – every receipt lands in the right account from the start.
VAT payable for June
€2,827
Output VAT €5,016 − input VAT €2,189
JanFebMarAprMayJun
Payable to the tax officeInput VAT deducted
Just getting started? Set up your company with AI in record time
- to notarisation
- companies formed
- for formation and bookkeeping
- Trustpilot score
| Do it yourself | Traditional tax firm | firma.de | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formation without dealing with authorities | You coordinate the notary appointment, business account and authorities yourself – around 8–12 hours of work. | Formations go through the notary and the registry court, not through the tax firm. | We coordinate the notary appointment, bank and authorities and handle every registration – you just sign. |
| Open tasks and deadlines always visible | Around 2–3 hours a month to keep track of everything yourself. | Status updates on request, usually without a portal of their own. | Visible in your account, included in every plan. |
| Dedicated bookkeeper, lawyer when needed – available around the clock | No fixed point of contact – you sort out tax and legal questions yourself. | Tax questions during office hours; for legal questions you also need a law firm. | A dedicated bookkeeper knows your company, our partner lawyers handle legal questions – and the AI agent answers around the clock. |
| Real-time bookkeeping incl. management reports and VAT returns | You do the bookkeeping, management reports and VAT returns yourself – around 4–6 hours a month. | Management reports and VAT returns only arrive after the month-end close, usually weeks later. | Every receipt is booked as soon as it arrives – management reports and VAT returns are always up to date. |
| Payroll in the same system | Hard to manage without dedicated software, and you are liable for the filings. | Around €10–20 per payslip and month. | Included from the Operations plan. |
| Annual accounts and e-balance sheet | Possible, but preparing and submitting them is then entirely up to you. | Around €1,000–2,500 a year, depending on size. | Included from the Growth plan, prepared by the partner tax firm. |
| Commercial register changes taken care of | Around 2–4 hours of preparation per change; the notary appointment remains mandatory. | Register changes go through the notary and the court, not through the tax firm. | We prepare the documents and coordinate the notary appointment. |
Times and costs are based on experience and depend on the individual case.
Formation takes a day. Running a company takes years.
VAT every month, payroll every month, annual accounts every year. firma.de keeps track of the deadlines and always shows where you really stand – your tax firm keeps working on the same data.
Get startedOne price for your entire business.
All official registrations included, three months free via the waitlist.
Start
from€99/month
Bookkeeping for sole traders and small companies.
Join the waitlistBook a demoIncluded:
- Notary and commercial register fees are set by law and charged to you directly by the notary. They are not part of the monthly price.Articles of association, notary appointment and commercial register (§ 7 GmbHG) in one go.
- You get the list of deadlines in your account and answers to your questions about it. From Growth, the partner tax firm provides tax advice.Every month, an overview of what's due: filings, payments, records.
- In the Start plan, we prepare the return and you submit it yourself. Under § 1 StBerG, submitting it on your behalf is reserved for tax advisors and is included from Growth.Fully prepared under § 18 UStG – you review it and submit it yourself via ELSTER.
- For example, the notification to the transparency register (§ 20 GwG), changes of shareholder and changes of address. Receipts and contracts are archived in an audit-proof way under § 147 AO. Register filings are notarised by the notary.Ongoing obligations, documents, filings with the authorities and company changes in one place.
- Terms, durations and availability are set by each provider and may change.Deals with Stripe, HubSpot, Google Workspace, SumSub and more.
RecommendedGrowth
from€199/month
For companies that want to hand over bookkeeping and annual accounts entirely.
Join the waitlistBook a demoEverything in Start, plus:
- A dedicated partner tax firm is responsible for filings and annual accounts – no rotating pool.Handles filings and submissions – you just approve.
- From here on, you no longer submit anything via ELSTER yourself. The tax firm takes responsibility for the submission.The partner tax firm submits VAT returns and other filings for you.
- Annual accounts includedPrepared and filed under § 242 HGB by your partner tax firm.
- Dedicated contactOne person who knows your case – no rotating hotline.
- Reports includedOpen items, revenue and costs per month and quarter.
Operations
from€399/month
For teams with staff, several accounts and their own requirements.
Join the waitlistBook a demoEverything in Growth, plus:
- PayrollPayslips, wage tax returns (§ 41a EStG) and social security filings for your team.
- Corporate income tax, trade tax and VAT returns plus the e-balance sheet for one company.E-balance sheet (§ 5b EStG), corporate, trade and VAT returns.
- Multiple accounts and loginsAll business accounts in one place, separate logins for your team and tax firm.
- Data migrationWe bring over receipts and balances from your old system, you keep booking.
- Priority supportRequests from you and your tax firm get priority – on bookkeeping, payroll and annual accounts.
All prices net, plus VAT. Services that require a licence are provided by our partner firms.
Partner deals worth €3,425 a year
Stripe
€500 credit on Stripe fees – for new Stripe customers.
Worth approx. €500 / year
Google Workspace
Three months of Workspace Business Standard free for your team.
Worth approx. €360 / year
HubSpot
30% off Starter and Professional in the first year.
Worth approx. €450 / year
Notion
Six months of Notion Plus with AI for your whole team.
Worth approx. €300 / year
Slack
25% off Slack Pro in the first year – for your team and tax firm.
Worth approx. €180 / year
Dropbox
Three months of Dropbox Business – share folders directly with your tax firm.
Worth approx. €150 / year
Registercheck
50,000 tokens for searches in the commercial and transparency registers.
Worth approx. €600 / year
Personio
Two months of Personio free for your first employees.
Worth approx. €360 / year
Values based on list prices; the partners' terms apply.
What founders say
“I set up my GmbH in a single afternoon. All the formation documents were prepared smoothly, and the commercial register application went out the next day.”
Rather talk first?
We'll go through setting up your AG with you and answer your questions before you start.
What you can rely on
ELSTER
VAT returns and annual accounts go straight to the tax office via the ELSTER interface.
DATEV
Bookings and receipts are ready in DATEV format – your tax firm keeps working as usual.
- 4.6
Top-rated
4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot. Rated by founders who have actually used firma.de.
Made in Germany
Developed in Germany, servers in the EU, GDPR-compliant. Anything that requires a licence comes from tax advisors and notaries.
Frequently asked questions about the AG
What is an Aktiengesellschaft (AG)?
The AG (Aktiengesellschaft) is the German stock corporation. It needs at least €50,000 of share capital. Only the company's assets are liable for its debts, not those of the shareholders. The management board runs the business, a supervisory board of at least three members oversees it, and the general meeting decides on fundamental matters.
How do I set up an AG?
Define the business purpose, check your preferred name against the Handelsregister (the German commercial register), have the articles of association notarised and appoint the supervisory board and management board. After the formation report, the formation audit and the payment of capital, the registration goes to the Handelsregister.
How much capital does an AG need?
At least €50,000 of share capital. For a cash formation, at least 25% of the nominal amount must be paid in before registration, so €12,500, plus any share premium.
Can I set up an AG on my own?
Yes, one person can take all the shares and form the management board. The supervisory board, however, needs at least three members who do not sit on the management board.
AG or GmbH – which suits me?
The GmbH is cheaper and more flexible. An AG is worth it if many shareholders are to be involved, shares change hands often or a stock market listing is planned.
Can I set up an AG online?
The articles of association of an AG are notarised in person at the notary's office. Online formation by video is so far only available for the GmbH and UG.
How much does it cost to set up an AG?
On top of our package, there are notary and registry fees and, depending on the case, the cost of an external formation audit. With a supervisory board and an audit, an AG takes more effort than a GmbH.
How long does it take to set up an AG?
Because of the supervisory board, formation report and formation audit, usually a few weeks. How quickly the registration follows is up to the registry court.
Does an AG have to go public?
No. Most German stock corporations are not listed. A stock market listing is possible, but not a must.